A few years ago, while in New York, I dragged my boyfriend out to stalk many of the filming locations from fave romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. I had managed to find almost all of the locations except for the most important one – Meg Ryan’s Upper West Side brownstone from the film. For some reason this location was a tough one for me to find and, unbelievably, I wound up locating it about two days after I returned from last year’s New York vacation. 🙁 Talk about bad timing!!!
Upon my return from New York last December, I popped in my You’ve Got Mail DVD – which happens to be another known cure for New York homesickness, second only to watching Sex And The City reruns. 🙂 Anyway, in one of the final scenes of the movie, as Kathleen Kelly leaves her house and walks toward the 91st Street Garden to meet NY152 for the first time, she walks past a garbage can with ” W 89″ painted on the lid. Eureka!! That little stalking clue led me to search West 89th Street on Google Maps and I quickly found the brownstone used in the film. On an ironic side note, a guy named Jonathan recently posted a comment on my You’ve Got Mail post alerting me to the garbage can clue. I guess great minds think alike. 🙂
So two weeks ago, I was able to finally stalk Kathleen Kelly’s adorable brownstone. And I am happy to say that it looks almost exactly the same today as it did ten years ago when filming took place. There are, of course, a few differences, though. Most notable is the gold intercom that Tom Hanks uses to talk himself into Kathleen’s home in the film. In real life that intercom does not exist. Most likely it was just a prop that was added for filming and then removed when production ended. The brownstone’s front doors are also slightly different from how they appeared onscreen and, again, I believe set decorators brought in new doors for the filming that were subsequently removed. Aside from that, though, You’ve Got Mail fans will definitely recognize the brownstone as Kathleen Kelly’s.
I can’t tell you how excited I was to finally be stalking this location – especially since I had been searching for it for years! For any You’ve Got Mail fans this one is a definite must see and I highly recommend stalking it! 🙂
Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂
Stalk It: The You’ve Got Mail brownstone is located at 328 West 89th Street on New York’s Upper West Side.
Thanks to your post, I was able to find the brownstone on a NYC trip with my husband. We met a woman who actually lives there and had met some of the cast/crew during filming. She was really sweet and kind enough to take our photo on the stoop. We also ate at Cafe Lalo, visited the Riverside Park garden, and walked through Zabar’s and Verdi Square. It was such a dreamy day!! I still think about it so fondly, and the trip was a year and a half ago now!!
I turned on my tv this morning and guess what movie was on..! Then I searched for the brownstone and found your blog. What about the store in the movie have u found that too?
Hi Mary, The Shop around the Corner was located at 106W 67th street. The FOX Books was at 7th Avenue & 17th Street.
ps….
i too love to watch Sex and the City reruns! 🙂
hi fellow YGM lovers.
i too have watched that movie so many times and never tire of it.
I live in queens ny , and lived for two years in a fifth floor walkup on the upper west side..at 77th and Amsterdam . So many familiar sites in the movie..the 72nd street subway station ..Zabars, all those beautiful brownstones..lovely riverside drive and park.. I love nyc and probably could never move away from here. Other films made in that locale are LITTLE MANHATTAN and Music and lyrics with Drew Barrymore. There is always lots of filming going on in the city …but it is the upper west side , with its beautiful pre war buildings..that i love most about ny. Thanks to Nora Ephron..Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan for making a film i will love forever!
One of my all time favorites, YGM has become my pick when I have insomnia. I love traveling to NYC and am really excited to find your site. This morning (yep, insomnia) while watching YGM, I decided to google Riverside Park since we just visited NYC 2 weeks ago and went there to see Grant’s tomb. I wish we had time to go see all of the locations you have listed but we definitely will on our next visit. Thanks for posting. Love your site.
Thank you thank you for finding this. I’ve always wanted to live in a townhouse exactly like this one, bay window and all. i’ve wondered where she lived and i’m currently bidding on a townhouse on 89th street with a bay window!!!! thanks again for great sleuthing!!
Great Site!
The “You’ve Got Mail Brownstone” very lovely movie , but the pictures in your post does not exist : (
p.s. Sorry for my English 🙂
I still can not see the photos, please please, I’m dying to see them!:)
Thanks in advance!